A man in south Lebanon cares for pets left behind as residents flee Israeli strikes
BEIRUT (AP) -- As Israeli airstrikes pummel southern Lebanon, most residents have fled their homes in fear. But Hussein Hamza is staying. His mission: to care for the animals left behind. He runs an animal shelter that houses 200 dogs in the village of Kfour. Recently, he has also been driving around towns and villages in the south, looking for stray animals and abandoned pets to feed. Israel has dramatically stepped up its airstrikes across many parts of Lebanon, which it says target Hezbollah and its weapons. With his town under constant bombardment, Hamza has refused to abandon the animals in his care.
Australia's online dating industry adopts code of conduct to keep users safer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Australia's government says a code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms. Bumble, Grindr and Match Group Inc. have agreed to the code that took effect on Tuesday. The platforms account for 75% of the industry in Australia. They have until April 1 to implement the changes before they are strictly enforced. The government called for a code of conduct last year in response to Australian Institute of Criminology research that found three-in-four users of dating apps or websites had experienced some form of sexual violence through these platforms in the five years through 2021.
Two boats carrying migrants sink in the Red Sea off Djibouti's coast killing 45, UN says
DJIBOUTI (AP) -- The U.N. migration agency says two vessels carrying migrants from Africa sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 45 people. The boats had departed from Yemen carrying 310 people, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday. Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a better life in Europe attempt irregular migration every year. Smugglers pack vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe. The U.N. agency, which was assisting search and rescue efforts, said on the social media platform X that 32 survivors were rescued.
October's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse will dazzle parts of South America and the Pacific
NEW YORK (AP) -- A "ring of fire" eclipse of the sun will cross the Pacific and the tips of Argentina and Chile. During Wednesday's annular solar eclipse, the moon will obscure all but a ring-shaped sliver of the sun. A partial eclipse will be visible at several locations including Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Hawaii. Eclipse glasses are a must to view this spectacle safely. Sunglasses or binoculars won't cut it. If you can't get your hands on protective glasses, view the eclipse indirectly by making a pinhole projector or holding up a colander to project an image of the eclipse.
NASA's Webb telescope detects traces of carbon dioxide on the surface of Pluto's largest moon
NEW YORK (AP) -- NASA's Webb Space Telescope has identified new clues about the surface of Pluto's largest moon. It detected for the first time traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon's surface. Previous research, including a 2015 NASA flyby, showed that Charon's surface was coated by water ice. But scientists weren't able to sense chemicals lurking at certain infrared wavelengths until the Webb telescope came around to fill in the gaps. The latest detection is key to studying how Charon and other icy objects in the Kuiper Belt came to be. The research was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
This year's MacArthur 'genius' fellows include more writers, artists and storytellers
NEW YORK (AP) -- The 2024 class of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellows includes more writers, artists and storytellers than in years past. This year's recipients of the so-called "genius grants" also include multiple scientists. The interdisciplinary awards announced Tuesday come with a $800,000 grant over five years that the 22 recipients may use however they want. The new fellows include fiction writers Ling Ma and Juan Felipe Herrera, cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond and visual artist Ebony G. Patterson. Marlies Carruth directs the MacArthur Fellows Program and said this class of fellows seems to reflect a, "desire to tell stories and resurrect certain stories that have not been told."
A cruise ship bound on a round-the-world voyage leaves Belfast after a 4-month delay
LONDON (AP) -- A cruise ship taking passengers on a 3 ½-year around-the-world voyage has finally sailed from Belfast, after spending four months stuck in the Northern Ireland capital. The Odyssey left dock and was at anchor in Belfast Lough on Tuesday completing final paperwork. The ship spent months at a Belfast shipyard for rudder and engine repairs. The ship's operator, Villa Vie Residences, paid living expenses for dozens of passengers. Some went home, while some stayed in hotels in Belfast or visited other parts of Europe. Cyndi Grzybowski, from Appling, Georgia, said she was excited for the voyage to begin, but had enjoyed her stay in Belfast. Two passengers who got to know each other during the long delay got engaged and plan to marry aboard the ship next year.
Frank Fritz of the reality TV Show 'American Pickers' dies at 60
Frank Fritz of the reality TV show "American Pickers" has died. On the History Channel program, Fritz drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell. His longtime friend Annette Oberlander said he died Monday night at a hospice facility in Iowa. She said he was 60. She said she was at his bedside, as was his co-star, Mike Wolfe. Oberlander said Fritz had a stroke in 2022 and never fully recovered. A celebration of life will likely be held in the spring. It will include a motorcycle run. Oberlander called Fritz a "fierce friend."
Reaction to the death of Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo
Reactions to the death of Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.
Gonzaga set to join rebuilt Pac-12, while UTEP goes to Mountain West
Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga will become the latest member of the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference. The school announced the move on Tuesday. Gonzaga will move from the West Coast Conference, where it has dominated for most of the last quarter century into a conference that was being rebuilt around football, but should be pretty stout on the basketball court. Adding Gonzaga still leaves the Pac-12 in need of another football-playing member for College Football Playoff purposes. Meanwhile, UTEP has agreed to join the Mountain West.